Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



May 26, 1925; 1,539,334

L. E. SPRAY RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct, '7 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENORZ 7X16 v 4 1 wax-31,

M ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Z15.- 17" I ax W ALLA ATTORNEY L. E; SPRAY Filed Oct. '7, 1 24 RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS May 26, 1925.

5 Lau h- May 2%, i925.

LESTER E. SPRAY, G1 QYILKiNSBURG PENNSYLVAKFIA', JAFV-SIGIIGB TO THIGH SYVITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, PENNSYLVANIA,

. wa wa rr nn rtream. con-Po sum or narnwnrarnarrrcconsummate errata-arcs.

Application filed October 7, 1924. SeriaLNo 742317.

To cellar/10m it may concern: I

Be. it ltnownthat l, LtesrnaE. SPRAY, a. citizen of the United States, residing at l iillrinsburg in the county o't rillegheny and State of Pennsylvania; have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Rail- I will describe two torn s of apparatus embodying my invention, and W1ll'tl1GI 1- point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings.v Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating one form of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. Qis a view showing a modification of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. I and also embodying my invention. 7

Similar reference characters re'ter to sinnlar parts in both views.

Referring first to Fig. l the reference characters 1 and 1 designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track over which tratl'c normally moves'in the direction indicated by the arrow. These rails are divided, by means of insulated joints 2, into a plurality of successive track sections A B B (l, 0-D, etc. Each track section is provided with a polarized track relay designated by the referencecharacter R with a suitable distinguishing exponent and connected across the rails adjacent the entrance endv oi the corresponding section. Associated with eachtrack relay R is an auxiliary relay des'gnated by the reference character I: with anexponent corresponding to the location. Each relay K is controlled by tratlio conditions in advance 2L5 will be explained indetail hereinafter.

llach track section is provided with a traclrway signal designatedby the reference ciaracter S with an appropriate. exponent. its here shown, each signals is a three-position semaphore signal and is. located adjacent the entrance end ot the section which governs but this particular type and ani oi signals is not essential to my inicntion. 'lhrce circuit controllers designateclb -tl1e reference characters E. l? and G with exponents corresponding to the locations,-:and'apole changer designatedby the reference character P withan'exponent corresponding to the location, areoperated by each signaliS; Each circuitcontrbller E. 3; and't-lcis closedwhen the associated signal indicates caution or proceed, but open when the signal indicates stop. Eachpole changer P is in normalposition when the associated signal; indicates caution orproceed, and in reverse position when the signal indicates stop. I

Eaclrrelay K is at times supplied with energy from a suitable source-such as a bat tery designatedby the reference character L with an appropriate exponent one of which batteriesis providedhtor each section; letcrring particularly to relay K the-circuit for this relay may be traced from battery L through wires 25', front contact of relay-R wires 27v and 28 normal contact 29 of relay B wire 80, circuit controller G operated by signal S; wire 31, winding of relay K wire 32, front contact 33' of relay-R wires fillCl l, circuit controller E operated'by signal S 5 wires 35, 36 and 37, circuit controller E operated-by signal S and wire 38 back-t0 battery L This circuit is closed, and consequently relay K is energized, only when relay R is energized in the normel direction, when relay R is energized and when circuit controllers G E and E are'all closed. The circuit for each of the remaining relays K is similar to that ust traced for relay K Each signal Sis controlled'by the associated tracljr relay R and the associated auxiliary relay K- in the following'manner I Referring particularlyto signal SKW-hen relay R is energized, current flows from battery L through wire 39, front contact ldof'relay R wires 41 and L2,operating mechanism of signal S wire e3, front. con; tact of relay R and wires 45 and to back to'battery L and under these conditions signalindicates caution. Circuit" controller F Iis th'en'closed andif; under these conditions, relay K becomes energized, a circuit closed from battery L over wire 39; front contact 40 of relay R3; wires 4:1, 47, and -l-8,fliront contact 49 of relay K wire. 50, circuit controller F operated by signal S wire 51, operating mechanism of signal S wire 43, front contact of relay R and wires 45 and 46 back to battery L lVhen this circuit is closed, signal S indicates proceed. lVhen relay B is de-energized signal S indicates stop.

Track circuit current of one polarity or the other is supplied to each section from a suitable source such as a track battery designated by the reference character 6 with an exponent corresponding to the location, and the polarity of this current is controlled by the track relay R and the signal S for the section next in advance. Referring particularly to section A.-B, when signal S is at caution or proceed and relay B is energized, current flows from battery 6 through wire 16, pole changer P wire 17, front contact 18 of relay R wire 19 to rail 1 of section AB and from rail 1 of this section by wires 20 and 21, pole changer P wire 22, front cont-act .43 of relay R wire 24-, and resistor 7, back to battery 6 hen this circuit is closed track circuit current of one polarity, which I shall hereinafter term normal polarity, is supplied to section AB, and relay R is then energized 1n the normal direction, that is, 111 such direction as to close contact 29 thereon. If signal S indicates stop and relay B is (tie-energized, current flows from battery 6 through wire 16, pole changer P wires 21 and 20 to rail 1 of section A-B, and from rail 1 by wire 19, back contact 23 of relay R wire 24, and resistor 7, back to battery 6 When this circuit is closed track circuit current of the opposite polarity, which I shall call reverse polarity, is supplied to section AB and relay R is then energized in the reverse direction under which conditioncontact 29 is open.

I will now assume that relay R is deenergized but that signal S has stuck in the proceed or caution position. Current will then flow from battery 6 through wire 16, pole changer P wire 17, back contact 18 of relay R wire 20 to rail 1*, and from rail 1 through wire 19, back contact 23 of relay R wire 241-, and resistor 7 to battery 6 Section AB is therefore supplied with track circuit current of reverse polarity.

As shown in the drawing, the section. immediately. to the right of point D is occupied by a train indicated diagrannnatically at V. Relay R is therefore de-energized. Signal S then indicates stop, and the circuit for relay K is broken at front contact 40 of relay R as well as at circuit controllers G and E Pole changer P is reversed, and so track circuit current of reverse relative polarity is supplied to the rails of section CD. Relay R is therefore energized in the reverse direction and the. caution operating circuit for signal S is closed at front contacts 33 and 4:0 of relay R but the proceed operating circuit for this signal is open at front contact all closed.

49 of relay K Signal S therefore indicates caution, pole changer P is normal, and circuit controllers E F and G are Contact 29 of relay R is, open however, and hence relay K is de-energized. Track circuit current of normal polarity is supplied to section BC, and relay B is therefore energized in the normal direction.

Signal S indicates caution, and section A I will now assume that track relay It is de-energized as shown in the drawing, but that signal S for some reason sticks in the proceed position. Pole changer P will then be in the normal position corresponding to the proceed indication of signal S but by virtue of the arrangement of the circuits for battery 6 the current supplied to section CD by this battery is of reverse relative polarity. Signals S and S will then indicate caution and sig nal S will indicate proceed, exactly as though signal S were displaying the proper indication.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the apparatus is the same as that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception of the control of the track battery 6. Referring again particularly to section AB, the battery 6 for this section is connected, through the usual resistor 7, directly to pole changer P The contact 5 of pole changer P is connected, by wire 20, direct to rail 1 of section AB. Contact l of this pole changer is connected by front contact 23 of relay R and wires 53 and 19 with rail 1 of section A-B. Contact 4; of pole changer P is constantly connected, by wire 5 1 and wire 19, with rail 1 of section l i-13. It will therefore be plain that when relay B is energized, section A.-B is supplied with track circuit current of normal relative polarity if signal S indicates caution or proceed, and with current of reverse relative polarity if signal S indicates stop, whereas when relay R is de-energized, section A-B is supplied with current of reverse relative polarity if signal S indicates stop but with no track circuit current if signal S indicates caution or proceed.

As shown in the drawing the section to the right of point 1) is occupied. as before by a train V. Relay R is therefore deenergized, and relay K is also (lo-energized. Signal S indicates stop, so that pole changer P is reversed, with the result that section CD is supplied with track circuit current of reverse polarity and relay R in the reverse direction. Relay R being energized, signal S indicates caution, so that track circuit current of normal polarity is Fat) supplied to the rails of sectioirB c. Relay R is therefore energizediinthe nor-.- mal. direction, and signal S indicates caution, its proceed operatingscircuit being; open at front contact i9 ofrelay; K Sec tion AB is thereforesupplied with track circuit current of normal relative polarity and irelayyR 'is energized in the normal direction. The circuit for relay K is now closed at contact 29 of relay R and so signal S indicates proceed.

I will now assume that relay E is de energized but that signal S for some reason sticks in the proceed or the caution position. The pole changer P will then be in the normal position so that the supply of track circuit current to section CD will be completely interrupted. Relay R will therefore be de-energized and signal S will indicate stop. The consequent reversal of pole changer P will cause section B-C to be supplied with track circuit current of reverse polarity and relay R will be energized in the reverse direction. Signal S will then indicate caution. Signal S will also indicate caution and the signal at the entrance end of the section to the left of point A will indicate proceed.

With the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 a train approaching a signal which falsely indicates proceed receives a caution indication three track sections in the rear of the defective signal and a stop indication at the entrance of the first section in the rear of the defective signal.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of railway traffic controlling apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a stretch of railway track comprising a plurality of track sections, a track relay for each section responsive to the polarity of the current supplied to the rails of the section, a signal for each section controlled in part by the associated track relay, and means controlled by each signal for supplying the section next in rear with current of one polarity when the track relay associated with such signal is energized and the signal displays one indication but effective when the relay is de-energized to reverse the polarity of such current irrespoctive of the indication displayed by such signal.

2. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising a plurality of successive sections of railway track, a track relay for each sec tion responsive to the relative polarity of the current supplied to the rails of the section,

asigmrlforbach section, and controlling ing signal; indicates stop andthe first and,

second..-si-gnals in-.rear thereofindicate cautionz; the-combination with the aforesaid :instrumentalities of means controlled by each said signal and the associated track relay and effective when the track relay is de-energized and the associated signal indicates proceed to cause the two signals next in rear to indicate caution.

3. In combination, 'a forward. and a rear section of railway track, a track relay for said forward section, a signal controlled in part by said relay, a source of track circuit current for said rear section, a pole changer operated by said signal for controlling the polarity of the current supplied to said rear section from said source, means comprising contacts on said relay for at times removing said pole changer from the control of said source, and traflic governing means responsive to the polarity of the track circuit current supplied to said rear section.

4. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, a track relay for said forward section, a signal controlled in part by said relay, means effective when said relay is de-energized for supplying said rear section with track circuit current of one larity irrespective of the condition of said signal but effective when such relay is energized for controlling the supply of track circuit current to said rear section in accord ance with the indication displayed by said signal, and traflic governing means responsive to the polarity of such current.

5. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, a track relay for said forward section, a signal controlled in part by said relay, a pole changer operated by said signal, a track battery, means effective when said relay is energized for connecting the terminals of said battery with the two rails respectively of said rear section through said pole changer, and means effective when the relay is de-energized for connecting one terminal of the battery directly with one rail of said rear section and for connecting the other terminal of the battery to the remaining rail of said rear stretchdirectly or through a back contact of said relay, depending upon the position of said pole changer.

6. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, a track relay for said forward section, a signal controlled in part by said relay, a pole changer operated by said signal, a track battery, means con trolled by said relay and by said pole changer for at times supplying current of one polarity to the rails of said rear section from said source and means controlled solely by said pole changer for at other times supplying current of the other polarity to said rear section from said source.

7. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, a track relay for said forward section, a signal controlled in part by said relay, a pole changer operated by said signal, a track battery, means efiective when said pole changer is reversed for connecting said battery directly with the two track rails of sald rear section and for re- Versely connecting said battery with said LESTER. SPRAY. 

